Houseboat Mystery

Home > Childrens > Houseboat Mystery > Page 7
Houseboat Mystery Page 7

by Gertrude Chandler Warner


  The boat tipped again a very little, as if a person were stepping aboard. Henry heard a key go very softly into the lock. The door of the cabin opened. Henry could see the black shapes of two men. They stepped into the cabin and flashed a weak light toward the sandbox.

  One man said crossly, “They’ve moved the sandbox.”

  “What of it?” said the other. “It’s the same sandbox. Just get that vase and go!”

  Both men knelt down and began to dig in the sand.

  “Hold it!” cried Captain De Rosa, jumping to his feet. He turned a bright flashlight full on the two men by the sandbox.

  The two men looked up with their mouths open. In an instant the two policemen had handcuffs on both of them. Then Henry was surprised to hear a car drive up.

  “Our light was a signal for the car to come,” explained Captain De Rosa. “We have plenty of help now.” And he led the two men off the houseboat with the police lieutenant following.

  “I’ll lock up,” said Henry. “My family can sleep here tonight without worrying about anything.”

  Henry had another surprise. Commander Williams was sitting in the front seat of the car beside the police driver. “I wanted a good look at those fellows, too,” he said. “Where’s Benny?”

  “He said this wasn’t the part he wanted to see. He thinks the best ending will be feeding oats to Dolly and seeing Sam happy again.”

  The two handcuffed men did not make any fuss. They knew they were caught. But they began to quarrel when the station wagon started to move.

  “I told you it was a dumb thing to take that vase,” one said. “But you wouldn’t listen. We were doing all right getting money from dumb people.”

  “That was my idea, too, remember! People will pay anything if you tell them their family is in trouble.”

  Henry thought to himself, “Sam and Jeff and the others weren’t in trouble at all. But these two men are. They won’t trick anybody again.”

  “Do you want to come to the police station with us?” asked Captain De Rosa, speaking to Henry.

  “No, drop me off at the movies. I want to tell my family it’s all over.”

  The movie had just ended. The Aldens were the first people to come out.

  “Oh, what happened, Henry?” Benny called out.

  “Everything is okay,” said Henry, looking at his grandfather. “Walk along to the boat and I’ll tell you all about it.”

  Henry told the story from the beginning to the end. Then Benny said, “Oh, Grandfather, tomorrow let’s float back to April Center to see Sam and Dolly!”

  “We don’t have to float, Ben,” said Henry. “We can use the motor.”

  “Good, we’ll get there fast,” Benny said. The Aldens laughed because that sounded just like Benny.

  Henry said, “How about the movie? What was it about?”

  Violet looked up at Henry with a smile and said, “I haven’t the slightest idea!”

  That night everyone slept well on the houseboat. There was nothing to worry about.

  After the houseboat was in order the next morning, Henry and Benny poled the boat toward the dock.

  The Aldens bought tickets for April Center at the gate. The first person they saw was not Sam but Jeff. He was sitting up straight in his wagon, waiting for river customers.

  Benny called, “Hello, Jeff! We’re back sooner than we said. It didn’t take four or five days. Only two!”

  “That’s right,” said Jeff. “I heard all about it last night.” He climbed down and shook hands with Grandfather.

  “You heard last night?” asked Henry. “It must have been late.”

  “Yes, it was. But I can tell you everyone around here knows it. Even before it was on the radio.”

  “I wonder how,” said Henry.

  “Well, this is a great place for getting news around,” said Jeff.

  “Where’s Sam?” asked Benny.

  “He’s down at the main gate. Do you see how much better Molly looks? That’s because of the oats you bought. But now I’ll be able to buy all she needs. She’ll look fine!”

  “Good! Let’s go and find Sam,” Benny said.

  “Have a ride!” said Jeff. “I’ll be glad to take you.”

  The Aldens thanked him and climbed in. Down the street went Molly. She held her head up high. People smiled as the wagon went past them. At last Molly reached the main gate.

  “There’s Sam!” said Benny.

  Sam looked up. His face was one big smile. He pointed at Dolly. She was eating oats from a bag on her nose.

  Sam said, “Dolly’s fine now. And Jeff and I didn’t do anything wrong, and everything is all right!”

  Benny looked from Sam to Jeff and from Dolly to Molly. He said, “This is what I wanted to see—Dolly eating oats! And this is the way to end our adventure—with everybody happy!”

  Jessie said, “Grandfather, don’t you think our trip is really over, too?”

  Mr. Alden said, “Yes, I ought to get back to work.”

  “I’m ready to go home,” said Henry.

  “Then I’ll telephone Mr. Rivers,” Grandfather said. But it was Mrs. Rivers who answered. She said, “I will meet you myself with my oldest boy. My husband has just gone away for the day.”

  The Aldens said good-bye to all their friends and chugged away up the river in the houseboat. They looked for the last time at the green trees and the quiet water. At last they saw Mrs. Rivers and her son standing on the dock, waiting.

  “What an awful time you had!” said Mrs. Rivers. “Everybody is talking about your trip and how it was spoiled.”

  “Oh, it wasn’t spoiled,” said Benny. “We had a neat time. We always have some excitement. And it all turned out well, even if those men did hide their treasure on our boat. Please don’t tell Mr. Rivers the name of our boat. We’d like to have him see it himself.”

  Mrs. Rivers looked at the name and laughed. “No, I won’t tell him,” she said. “You did have some treasure aboard all the time and didn’t know it.”

  Mrs. Rivers’ son helped the Aldens take their things from the houseboat and load them in the station wagon. The drive home was a short one, and Watch was waiting for them.

  After everything was unpacked, the Aldens sat on the porch. They couldn’t stop talking about the houseboat.

  Henry laughed and said, “Remember the day on The James H. Alden when Jessie lost the salt?”

  And Jessie said, “Remember the day on The Mrs. McGregor when Ben found out why Dolly was so thin?”

  Benny said, “Remember the day on the Nedla Yrrieh? And Henry found the fish pole?”

  But Violet said, “Oh, I wish we could see Mr. Rivers’ face when he sees the last name for his boat!”

  Really, it was too bad that nobody saw Mr. Rivers. He went down alone to look at his houseboat and get it ready for the next customer. He happened to look at the blue letters on the top and began to laugh. He laughed and laughed and slapped his knee and shook his head.

  The houseboat’s name was Captain Kidd.

  “That Benny!” said Mr. Rivers. “Comical.”

  About the Author

  GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.

  Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car—the situation the Alden children find themselves in.

  When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.

  While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought
of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible—something else that delights young readers.

  Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her book. And so she continued the Aldens’ adventures, writing a total of nineteen books in the Boxcar Children series.

  The Boxcar Children Mysteries

  THE BOXCAR CHILDREN

  SURPRISE ISLAND

  THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY RANCH

  MIKE’S MYSTERY

  BLUE BAY MYSTERY

  THE WOODSHED MYSTERY

  THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY

  MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY

  SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY

  CABOOSE MYSTERY

  HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY

  SNOWBOUND MYSTERY

  TREE HOUSE MYSTERY

  BICYCLE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY IN THE SAND

  MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL

  BUS STATION MYSTERY

  BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY

  THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY

  THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY

  THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN

  PAINTING

  THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO

  THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY GIRL

  THE MYSTERY CRUISE

  THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST

  MYSTERY IN THE SNOW

  THE PIZZA MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY HORSE

  THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW

  THE CASTLE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL

  THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC

  THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT

  THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN

  THE MYSTERY ON STAGE

  THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC

  THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK

  THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT

  AIR BALLOON

  THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE

  THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN

  BOXCAR

  THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN

  THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE

  THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY

  THE HURRICANE MYSTERY

  THE PET SHOP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE

  THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO

  THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO

  THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY

  THE SOCCER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC

  THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER

  THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL

  THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY

  THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY

  THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY

  THE PANTHER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS

  THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY

  THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY

  THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP

  THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN

  THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL

  THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK

  THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY

  THE POISON FROG MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE

  THE HOME RUN MYSTERY

  THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES

  THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER

  GAME

  THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED

  HOUSE

  THE HOCKEY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL

  THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY

  THE COPYCAT MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER

  MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE

  THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE

  MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD

  MOUNTAIN

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE

  THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S

  CURSE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY

  THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP

  THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT

  THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY

  THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY

  THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY

  THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY

  THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE

  COOKIE

  THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY

  THE RADIO MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY

  GHOST

  THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED

  BOXCAR

  THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE

  THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING

  BONES

  THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT

  THE GAME STORE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN

  THE VANISHING PASSENGER

  THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY

  THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE

  THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY

  THE SECRET OF THE MASK

  THE SEATTLE PUZZLE

  THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW

  THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND

  A HORSE NAMED DRAGON

  THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE

  THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING

  TOMATOES

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  copyright © 1967 by Albert Whitman & Company

  ISBN: 978-1-4532-0802-1

  This 2010 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media

  180 Varick Street

  New York, NY 10014

  www.openroadmedia.com

 

 

 


‹ Prev